How it works
Savings, shares, a second home and other private assets fall in box 3. The tax authority looks at the value on 1 January, deducts debts and the tax-free amount, and assumes a return on what remains. That assumed return is taxed at 36% in 2026.
The assumed return is different for each type of asset. It is low for savings and higher for investments and property. If your real return was lower, you can use the rebuttal scheme and show the actual figures.
The tax-free amount is €59,357 per person in 2026, and twice that for fiscal partners. You can deduct debts above a threshold.
The government has been preparing a new system based on actual returns for years. Under the Budget Day 2026 bills, the assumed-return system is kept for 2027. The bill for tax on actual returns is on hold in the senate. On 29 September 2026 the cabinet chose a new direction: from 2028, gains on investments such as shares, bonds and options would be taxed only when you sell. This is still a proposal. For larger amounts, many owners compare box 3 with keeping the money in a BV. In a BV, the tax is based on the real return.
Example
A private investor has €300,000 in shares on 1 January 2026. After the tax-free amount of €59,357, the base is €240,643. At an assumed return of about 6%, the taxable income is around €14,400. The tax at 36% is about €5,200. If the real return is 2%, the investor can pay less tax through the rebuttal scheme.
The figures
Every rate for 2026 is listed in Netherlands tax rates 2026, and the figures for 2027 are in Netherlands tax rates 2027.
Questions people ask
Is my own home in box 3?
The house you live in is in box 1. A second home, a rental property and a holiday home are in box 3.
Is money inside a BV taxed in box 3?
Money in a BV is outside box 3. The BV pays corporate income tax on the real return it makes. The shares of the BV are a substantial interest in box 2. You can compare both with the box 3 or BV calculator.
Holdwise, Hoofddorp. We keep this definition in line with our Dutch and German glossaries, and the figures are those for the tax year 2026. Updated 30 September 2026.
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